Settings for Style and Stock Keeping Unit (SKU)

Outcome

Settings are done so style and SKUs can be created.

Style is a comprehensive term for a number of similar items. Style is used in the fashion industry.
SKU is the item(s) connected to a certain style.

An example of a style is Lewis 501 jeans. Three SKUs exists for this style:

Lewis 501, size 32, color blue.
Lewis 501, size 34, color blue.
Lewis 501, size 34, color black

The style master is the MMODMA table.

Before you start

No special settings required.

Follow these steps

Feature groups

Start 'Feature Group. Open' (CRS582). Feature groups X, Y and Z must be created to use a matrix format for creating SKUs, entering orders etc.
Enter the 'Feature group' field with X.
The Language field specifies the language in which external documents should be printed, not the language on the screens. If you leave this field blank, the language on the documents will be the same as the system language.
Open the E panel and fill in the Description, Name, 'Long name' and 'Short name' fields with the same value.

Features

Start 'Feature. Open' (PDS055). Select Sorting order 2. Enter the Feature field. Normally the X-axis is 'Size' and Y-axis is 'Color' (but not always). The Z-axis can, for example, be 'Material' or 'Type'.
The Feature type field (to the right on the panel) should always be entered with 1.
The Attribute ID field is filled in. The field indicates the unique ID for an attribute. Normally attributes are used to store values that are connected to an item. Both the item and attribute are required to describe all the characteristics of the lot/balance identity.

Note: The attribute you select here must be connected to the same attribute model as the one you select in the 'Attribute model' field when you create style in (MMS001/G).

Example: In 'Attribute Model. Open' (ATS050) you define attribute model 'FASH1'.

In 'Attribute. Open' (ATS010) you define three attributes (attribute model lines) 'SIZE1', 'COLOR1' and 'MATERIAL1'.

In 'Attribute Model. Connect Attributes' (ATS051) you connect model FASH1 with the three attributes.

On this panel (PDS055/E) you select attribute 'SIZE1'.

On the (MMS001/G) panel, when you create style, you must select attribute model 'FASH1'.
On the (PDS055/E) panel. select the feature group in the Feature group field to be connected to this feature.
The Option check field is entered with 1.

Options

In this program you define color sizes etc. The name is used as a heading in the matrix display

Start 'Option. Open' (PDS050). Select Sorting order 2.
Select X, Y or Z in the 'Option group' field (the same as Feature group).
Enter the 'Sequence number for sorting' field. This indicates the sequence in which the options within a feature are displayed.
On the E panel. The first six characters of the Name field are used as option descriptions in matrix displays.
Make sure that you really express the option in the first six characters. Example: Write 'Yellow'. Don't write 'Color yellow'.
The 'Combination code' field is recommended to be entered with 0 = No.

Connect options to feature

Start 'Feature. Connect Options' (PDS056). This program can also be started by option 12 = Options/Feature in (PDS050) and (PDS055).
Fill in the Feature field and select option in the Option field.
The Sequence number for sorting field is populated based on the following rules:
- If the sequence number for the option (PDS050) exist then this will be used.
- Otherwise the sequence number can be left blank and is then calculated automatically. The interval to use for auto created sequence numbers is entered on the P panel.
- The sequence number can be entered manually.
On the E panel there are fields for printer settings.

Create item types and numbering rules for style and SKUs

Start 'Item Type. Open' (CRS040). Create an Item type on the B panel.
On the E panel, fill in appropriate fields. Select a template item in the 'Item template' field.
Template item is created in (MMS001) as a normal item, but it must have status 05. For the template item following fields in (MMS001) must be entered with:
- (MMS001/G) Configuration code 2 = Family item
- (MMS001/G) Attribute managed 2 = Yes, the attribute panel is always displayed for receipt to stock.
- (MMS001/G) Attributes model – Enter an attributes model (see example above in 'Features').
Connect the template item to warehouse in (MMS002) as usual, also here it must have status 05.

Note: The template item must have the same Item type connected as you will use when you create these items.

This means that you first have to create the item type, then create the item template using the created item type, then go back into the item type and connect the item template.
The Status field determines the default status for the created style.
Select a Numbering rule. This field is the numbering rule for the style. For more details, see document Create an Item Numbering Rule and Connect It to an Item Type.
The 'Variant numbering rule' field is the numbering rule for the SKUs. For more details, see document Create an Item Numbering Rule and Connect It to an Item Type.

Complementing information about numbering rule for style and SKU's.

Here follows an example of how to define a numbering rule for a style and another numbering rule for SKUs.

An SKU code could be: VHF013-18-40-CO

VHF013 = the style code

- = separators

18 = the size code (X-axis)

40 = the color code (Y-axis)

CO = the material (Z-axis)

The numbering rule settings in (MWS050) and (MWS051) are the following for the style code – VHF013:

(MWS050/E)

Item number length = 6

Skip blanks = 1

(MWS051/E) VHF

Number qualifier = 2

From position = 1

To position = 3

Field = MMITNO

From position = 1

To position = 3

Skip blanks = 1

(MWS051/E) 013

Number qualifier = 4

From position = 4

To position = 6

No of sequence fig = 003

The numbering rule settings in (MWS050) and (MWS051) are the following for the SKU code – VHF013-18-40-CO:

(MWS050/E)

Item number length = 15

Skip blanks = 1

(MWS051/E) VHF 013

Number qualifier = 02

From position = 1

To position = 6

Field = MMITNO

From position = 1

To position = 6

Skip blanks = 1

(MWS051/E) – (separator)

Number qualifier = 10

From position = 7

To position = 7

Sep character = -

(MWS051/E) X (18)

Number qualifier = 08

From position = 8

To position = 9

Feature group = X

From position = 2

To position = 3

Skip blanks = 1

Continue in the same way for the characters – 40 – CO.
Back to item type (CRS040/E). The 'Kits no of positions' field determines how long the kit number must be.

The kit number is a serial number for identifying a package of SKUs, which belongs to the same style. The kit number is always placed sequentially to the right in the item number.
Leave the fields on the (CRS040/F) panel blank. Press Enter and the B panel is redisplayed

If you will have (MMS002), (MMS003), and (MMS025) also auto created with values from the item template you have to do the following:

On the (CRS040/B) panel, select option 12=Item type/Warehouse. This starts 'Item types. Connect Warehouse' (MWS042). On the B panel, enter your Item type and the Warehouse, which should be auto created. On the E panel you activate the Auto creation field.

On the (CRS040/B) panel, select option 13=Item type/Alias. This starts 'Item types. Connect Alias' (MWS043). On the B panel, enter your Item type and the Alias category. On the E panel you have to select a Numbering rule for the alias number. This is created in 'Numbering rule. Open' (MWS050). Activate also the Auto creation field. More about this is on the next page.

Create alias types and numbering rules for alias

Start 'Alias Type. Open' (MMS024).
This table summarizes the different types of aliases that can be generated for fashion and only for fashion.

Alias type - Parameters that can create the alias

84 - Style code + Z-option

85 - Item group

86 - Style name

87 - Style code + free options

88 - Style code – can not be entered, always generated
In the Alias type field you enter an ID for the type.
Open the E panel. In the Alias category field you enter 84, 85, 86 or 87.

If you want the alias to be an EAN or UPS code you enter this field with 02 = EAN number. You then have to fill in the Alias qualifier field with one of the alternatives from the field help.
In the Numbering rule field you select an alias-numbering rule. They are defined in (MWS050) and (MWS051).

See above 'Complementing Information about Numbering Rule for Style and SKUs'.

Note: Make sure that you on the (MWS050/E) panel in the Number type field select 2= Alias numbers.
Press Enter and you redisplay the (MMS024/B) panel.
You know have to connect the created alias type to your item type. Start 'Item Type. Open' (CRS040). On the B panel, option 13 = Item type/Alias, starts 'Item type. Connect Alias' (CRS043).
Enter the 'Alias type' field with your created alias type (browse with F4).
On the E panel you activate the 'Auto create' field. Now will the aliases be auto created when you create the SKUs.

Number series

When generating SKUs for a style, the M3 Product Configurator is used. Start 'Number Series. Open' (CRS165), in the Number series type field select 18=Product Configuration Numbers. In the Number series field is entered with 1.
Fill in appropriate fields on the E panel.

User-defined style information

On the (MMS016/E) panel, used when creating styles, you have the availability to define your own field headings. These fields can be used for reporting, grouping, washing instructions etc.
Start 'Settings - User-def Style Fld Headings' (CRS759). You have 20 user defined field headings available, each with 15 characters.

Item setting and product structure type

Start 'Settings. Create Items' (CRS760). In the Create items field it is recommended that you set 1 = Yes, in this run.
You have to select at least one Product structure type. It should be a standard structure type. The product structure types are defined in 'Product Structure. Open' (PDS001). See documentation about Product Data Management.

Seasons

Styles are attached to seasons. On the customer order type it is possible to set up season code and force a check that styles being ordered are attached to that season.
Start 'Season. Open' (CRS912). Enter the seasons you need. The Valid from and Valid to dates on the E panel are purely for information.

Compositions

'Composition. Open' (MMS028) is used to enter compositions codes to describe different materials contents that can be printed on tags. A blank language for the codes and names is used for display, and language codes are used when printing the tags.